Sharp Spines Research Articles

Froghoppers jump from smooth plant surfaces by piercing them with sharp spines

Attachment mechanisms used by climbing animals facilitate their interactions with complex 3D environments and have inspired novel types of synthetic adhesives. Here we investigate one of the most dynamic forms of attachment, used by jumping insects living on plants. Froghopper insects can perform explosive jumps with some of the highest accelerations known among animals. As many plant surfaces are smooth, we studied whether Philaenus spumarius froghoppers are able to take off from such substrates. When attempting to jump from smooth glass, the insects' hind legs slipped, resulting in weak, uncontrolled jumps with a rapid forward spin. By contrast, on smooth ivy leaves and smooth epoxy surfaces, Philaenus froghoppers performed strong jumps without any slipping. We discovered that the insects produced traction during the acceleration phase by piercing these substrates with sharp spines of their tibia and tarsus. High-speed microscopy recordings of hind legs during the acceleration phase of jumps revealed that the spine tips indented and plastically deformed the substrate. On ivy leaves, the spines of jumping froghoppers perforated the cuticle and epidermal cell walls, and wounds could be visualized after the jumps by methylene blue staining and scanning electron microscopy. Improving attachment performance by indenting or piercing plant surfaces with sharp spines may represent a widespread but previously unrecognized strategy utilized by plant-living insects. This attachment mechanism may also provide inspiration for the design of robotic grippers.

A new species of Acartia (Copepoda, Calanoida) from the Philippines, based on morphological and molecular analyses.

A new species of Acartia (Odontacartia), A. (O.) edentatasp. n., was collected from Leyte Island in the Philippines. Morphologically, the new species resembles A. (O.) pacifica Steuer, 1915. The female of the new species differs from other species of the A. (O.) erythraea Giesbrecht, 1889 species group in the absence of a pair of sharp spines on the posterior border of the genital double-somite and absence of setules on the lateral margins of urosomites 1–3. Unlike other congeners of the species group, males of the new species lack fine setules along the posterior margin of the prosome. Comparison of the new species with A. (O.) pacifica by pairwise distance data for the 16S (282 bp) gene indicates that these species differ by 20–21%, while the COI gene (636 bp) indicates a difference of 16–17%. The new species seems to be a coastal, occurring in warm waters having a salinity of 33.5.

Crab Shell Impaction in the Larynx with Aphonia

Objective: To report a case of crab shell impaction at the glottic level presenting only as aphonia and cough.
 Methods
 Design: Case Report
 Setting: Tertiary Government Hospital
 Patient: One (1)
 
 Results: A 36-year-old male, who presented in emergency with sudden aphonia after a meal, was found to have crab shell with leg spines impacted at the glottic level. Due to its large size, ragged edges and the sharp spines stuck in the tissue, endoscopic removal needed a prior tracheostomy. All pieces were extracted, with no bleeding, laceration or tissue damage. The patient completely recovered with normal vocal folds and a normal voice at follow up.
 Conclusion: Our experience suggests that an impacted foreign body may warrant a tracheostomy to secure the airway prior to extraction, and avoid any possible complications including laryngeal injury.
 Keywords: foreign body, larynx, crab shell, loss of voice

The first report of the genus Willenstenhelia (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Miraciidae) from the China seas, with description of a new species

A new species Willenstenhelia mirabilipes sp. nov. (Copepoda: Harpacticoida: Miraciiidae) is described based on specimens collected from the South China Sea. This is also the first report of the genus Willenstenhelia from the China seas. The new species differs from congeners by the combined characters: all somites without spinules on surface except anal somite; third segment of female P4 exopod with two inner setae; female P5 baseoendopodal lobe with four elements and P5 exopod with sharp apical spine; caudal ramus about six times as long as broad.

Two new species of stargazers of the genus Uranoscopus (Teleostei: Uranoscopidae) from the western Pacific Ocean.

Two new species of stargazers in the Uranoscopus albesca species-complex of the family Uranoscopidae are described from Papua New Guinea, which shares among other characters a concave posterodorsal margin of the pectoral fin. Uranoscopus brunneus n. sp. is described from a single specimen from off southwestern New Britain, and is characterised by lower edge of preopercle with 8 spines; labial fimbriae poorly-developed; anterior nostril with a long tubiform valve, posterior nostril a slit-like pore; supracleithrum with a sharp spine at rear end and five small spines inside; dorsoposterior margin of pectoral fin concave; 62 oblique scale-rows along the sides of the body in adult; pectoral-fin membranes dark brown. Uranoscopus kishimotoi n. sp., described from a single specimen from West Sepik Province, is characterised by the lower edge of preopercle with 3 spines; no labial fimbriae; both anterior and posterior nostrils with long tubiform valves; supracleithrum with a sharp spine at rear end and one additional small spine inside; dorso-posterior margin of pectoral fin concave; 59 oblique scale-rows along the sides of the body in adult; upper pectoral-fin membranes pale, lower membranes brown. The distribution of the species in the U. albesca species-complex is discussed.

Three new species of squat lobsters of the genus Munidopsis Whiteaves, 1874, from Guadeloupe Island, Caribbean Sea (Crustacea, Decapoda, Munidopsidae).

The genus Munidopsis is one of the most diverse genera within squat lobsters. Here, three new species of Munidopsis, M. cornuata n. sp., M. senticosa n. sp., and M. turgida n. sp., from <500 m off Guadeloupe Island (Caribbean Sea), are fully described and illustrated. Among the Atlantic species of the genus, M. cornuata n. sp. belongs to the group of species having the dorsal surface of the carapace with spines and is most similar to M. robusta (A. Milne-Edwards, 1880), from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Munidopsis senticosa n. sp. resembles M. barbarae (Boone, 1927) from the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico and M. penescabra Pequegnat Williams 1995, from off Georgia and Gulf of Mexico; the three species belong to the group having the carapace covered with sharp spines. Finally, M. turgida n. sp. is characterized by having the dorsal surface of the carapace, abdomen and pereiopods covered by granules; and resembles M. granulens Mayo, 1972, from NW Caribbean Sea. Apart from the morphological evidence, the analysis of mitochondrial genes (COI and 16S) supports establishing these new species, showing very high genetic divergences compared to their congeners (from 14.5 to 17% for COI, and 7.7 to 12.8% for 16S data).

A new deep-sea scalpelliform barnacle, Vulcanolepas buckeridgei sp. nov. (Eolepadidae: Neolepadinae) from hydrothermal vents in the Lau Basin.

The present study describes a new species of Vulcanolepas from the Lau Basin in the South Pacific. The basal angle of the tergum of Vulcanolepas buckeridgei sp. nov. is elevated from the capitular-peduncular margin at ~1/6 of the capitular height. The mandibles of V. buckeridgei sp. nov. are tridentoid; the cutting margins of the second and third teeth are long and each tooth possesses 18-20 sharp spines. The proximal segments of the anterior and posterior rami of cirrus I are protuberant and with dense, simple setae. DNA barcode sequences of Vulcanolepas buckeridgei sp. nov. are similar to Vulcanolepas sp. 1 collected from the Lau Basin (Herrera et al. 2015). Vulcanolepas buckeridgei is morphologically similar to Vulcanolepas 'Lau A' collected in the Lau Basin (Southward Newman 1998). This suggests that Vulcanolepas buckeridgei sp. nov. is widespread in the Lau Basin.

X-ray micro-CT scanning reveals temporal separation of male harm and female kicking during traumatic mating in seed beetles.

In the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus, the male intromittent organ is covered in sharp spines that pierce the female copulatory tract wall during mating. Although the fitness consequences of traumatic mating are well studied in this species, we know much less about how the male and female genitalia interact during mating. This is partly due to the fact that genital interactions occur primarily inside the female, and so are difficult to observe. In this study, we use X-ray micro-CT scanning to examine the proximate mechanisms of traumatic mating in C. maculatus in unprecedented detail. We show that this technique can be used to identify female tissue damage before the melanization of wound sites. We visualize the positioning of the male intromittent organ inside the female copulatory tract during mating, and show how this relates to tract wounding in three dimensions. By scanning pairs flash-frozen at different times during mating, we show that significant tract wounding occurs before the onset of female kicking. There is thus some degree of temporal separation between the onset of wounding and the onset of kicking, which supports recent suggestions that kicking is not an effective female counter-adaptation to reduce copulatory wounding in this species. We also present evidence that the sharp teeth protruding from the female tract wall are able to pierce the spermatophore as it is deposited, and may thus function to aid sperm release.

Fangblenny venom drops blood pressure, ignites inflammation

If a predator fish tries to swallow a tiny fangblenny, the hunter receives such a compelling dose of venom from its prospective lunch that the larger fish quivers and opens its mouth, letting the fangblenny escape unharmed. When Nicholas R. Casewell of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Bryan G. Fry of the University of Queensland, and colleagues took a close look at venomous fangblennies of the Meiacanthus genus, they discovered that the fish’s propensity to deliver toxic deterrents has some peculiar attributes (Curr. Biol. 2017, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.067). For example, many fish that use venom for defense rely on sharp spines to deliver their cargo; the fangblenny uses fangs. Furthermore, venomous fangblennies evolved their fangs before they evolved the biochemical ability to produce venom. Initially, the fish may have used the fangs to scoop out the flesh of competitors or to give predators a sharp poke. The team also discovered

The final stadium larva of Euphaea decorata Hagen in Selys, 1853, from Fujian, China (Odonata: Zygoptera: Euphaeidae).

The final stadium larva of Euphaea decorata Hagen in Selys is described and illustrated for the first time. The larva of E. decorata is typical of the genus and characterized by having a flat and long body with large saccoid caudal gills, seven pairs of lateral abdominal gills, two or three large and sharp spines in front of the ventral margin of the eyes, and tridentate palpal lobes of the prementum. The supposed larva of Rhipidolestes nectans is corrected to that of an unknown Euphaeidae. Known Euphaea larvae are shown to be generally very similar, but an old report suggests that the Indian species E. dispar and E. fraseri may show sufficient differences to restore them to the genus Indophaea.

Variation in Incidence and Severity of Injuries among Crown-of-Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

Despite the presence of numerous sharp poisonous spines, adult crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) are vulnerable to predation, though the importance and rates of predation are generally unknown. This study explores variation in the incidence and severity of injuries for Acanthaster cf. solaris from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The major cause of such injuries is presumed to be sub-lethal predation such that the incidence of injuries may provide a proxy for overall predation and mortality rates. A total of 3846 Acanthaster cf. solaris were sampled across 19 reefs, of which 1955 (50.83%) were injured. Both the incidence and severity of injuries decreased with increasing body size. For small CoTS (<125 mm total diameter) >60% of individuals had injuries, and a mean 20.7% of arms (±2.9 SE) were affected. By comparison, <30% of large (>450 mm total diameter) CoTS had injuries, and, among those, only 8.3% of arms (±1.7 SE) were injured. The incidence of injuries varied greatly among reefs but was unaffected by the regulations of local fisheries.

Description of a new species of brooding spider crab in the genus Paranaxia Rathbun, 1924 (Brachyura: Majoidea), from northern Australia and Indonesia.

A new species, Paranaxia keesingi sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected in northern Australia. The new species differs from its only congener, P. serpulifera (Guérin, 1832, in Guérin-Méneville 1829-1837), by several characters including carapace setation, sternal cavities, absence of a subhepatic spine, presence of a sharp spine on the posterodistal angle of the cheliped merus, relatively shorter chelipeds, and longer and more slender ambulatory legs. Morphological separation of the two species is supported by 12s rDNA sequence divergences of 7.4-8.2%. Like P. serpulifera, the newly described species exhibits direct development with females carrying juvenile individuals under the pleon. Both species are sympatric, but Paranaxia keesingi sp. nov. is found in deeper waters than P. serpulifera.

Feeding ecology and behavioral adjustments: flexibility of a small neotropical primate (Callithrix jacchus) to survive in a semiarid environment

Semiarid environments are known for climate extremes such as high temperatures, low humidity, irregular precipitations, and apparent resource scarcity. We aimed to investigate how a small neotropical primate (Callithrix jacchus; the common marmoset) manages to survive under the harsh conditions that a semiarid environment imposes. The study was carried out in a 400-ha area of Caatinga in the northeast of Brazil. During a 6-month period (3 months of dry season and 3 months of wet season), we collected data on the diet of 19 common marmosets (distributed in five groups) and estimated their behavioral time budget during both the dry and rainy seasons. Resting significantly increased during the dry season, while playing was more frequent during the wet season. No significant differences were detected regarding other behaviors. In relation to the diet, we recorded the consumption of prey items such as insects, spiders, and small vertebrates. We also observed the consumption of plant items, including prickly cladodes, which represents a previously undescribed food item for this species. Cladode exploitation required perceptual and motor skills to safely access the food resource, which is protected by sharp spines. Our findings show that common marmosets can survive under challenging conditions in part because of adjustments in their behavior and in part because of changes in their diet.

Psaironeura angeloi, a new species of damselfly (Zygoptera: Coenagrionidae) from Central and South America.

Psaironeura angeloi sp. nov. (Holotype male deposited in FSCA: ECUADOR, Esmeraldas Province, small stream 5.6 km NW of Lita, 00.893°N 78.510°W, 4.II.1997, KJT leg.) is described and illustrated based on specimens from Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, bringing the total number of species in the genus to five. The new species is closely related to P. remissa (Calvert), a Mexican/northern Central American species with broad, foliate male cerci, but is distinct in that the long flagella of the genital ligula lack a small sharp spine unique to P. remissa, labrum and clypeus are orange-red, and the back of the head is mostly pale in both males and females. In life, the eyes of the new species are bright red in males versus green and black in P. remissa.

To Study The Location, Shape and Morphological Relations of Mandibular foramen and Mandibular lingula in Dry mandibules of South India.

Aim and objective: To measure the location, shape AND morphological relations with mandibular foramen and dry mandibules of south India Background: The mandibles or jaw bone in the human is largest, strongest and lowest bone in the face .It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandibular foramen is an opening on the internal surface of the Ramus(posterior and perpendicular oriented part of the mandible).The margin of the mandibular foramen is irregular.Lingula is a tongue-like flap of bone that overlaps the mandibular foramen anteriormedially.It is surmounted by a sharp spine, the lingula of the mandible when gives attachment to the spenomandibular ligament ;at its lower and back part is a notch from which gives mylohyoid groove runs obliquely downward and forward, and loges the mylohyoid vessles and nerve. Reason: The purpose of this study was to obtain morphological parameter of the mandibular foramen and the mandibular lingula.This study is conducted to measure the morphological relations in dry mandibules of south Indian for the knowledge of its surgical application.

Anti-predator defenses of Brown Bullheads (<em>Ameiurus nebulosus</em>) and interactions with Snapping Turtles (<em>Chelydra serpentina</em>)

Ictalurid catfishes have sharp spines on their dorsal and pectoral fins that can be hazardous to predators. The pectoral spines may lock in an abducted position, effectively increasing body size and preventing ingestion by gape-limited predators. Further, sharp spines may injure predators or increase prey handling time, affording catfish opportunities for escape. As part of a long-term mark–recapture study of turtle ecology in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, we documented the presence of Brown Bullheads, Ameiurus nebulosus, in the diet of Snapping Turtles, Chelydra serpentina. Here, we report on injuries inflicted by the pectoral spines of bullheads on Snapping Turtles during predator–prey interactions and provide a brief literature review of the functional significance and potential dangers of catfish pectoral spines to predators.

Taxonomic delineation of Solanum exarmatum, a new species from Solanum capsicoides All. in Southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India

A new species of Solanum from the Western Ghat region of Kerala, India is described and illustrated as Solanum exarmatum sp. nov. The species is dissimilar from its allied species Solanum capsicoides in terms of shape of the leaf, non spiny nature of stem and calyx in contrast to the thick armour of sharp spines in Solanum capsicoides. Spines are present occasionally on the petiole and the lower surface of the leaves but they are slender. Detailed description including distribution with relevant taxonomic notes along with colour photographs is provided.

Caprella suprapiscis sp. nov. (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) from the Pacific coast of Mexico.

A new species of caprellid, Caprella suprapiscis sp. nov., is described based on several specimens collected from Bahía Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico. All specimens were found in association with the scorpionfish Scorpaena mystes. Caprellids are set on the dorsal surface of fishes. The species is distinguished by head with a short dorsal projection, eyes distinctive, body slender and smooth, peduncular articles of antenna 1 not setose, antenna 2 with swimming setae, gnathopod 2 with three ventral projections in males. The species is close to C. californica, C. mercedesae, and C. scaura for a sharp spine on the forehead but can be distinguished by gnathopod 2 finely setose, and basis of gnathopod 2 shorter.

Allergen of the Month—Annual Wormwood

Allergen of the Month—Annual Wormwood

Assessment of genetic diversity of cucumber cultivars in China based on simple sequence repeats and fruit traits.

The cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important crop grown worldwide. In this study, the genetic diversity of 42 cucumber cultivars in China was analyzed using 51 pairs of simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers. These primers identified 129 polymorphic loci, 95.6% of which were polymorphic. The mean effective number of alleles, mean Nei's gene diversity, and mean Shannon's information index were 0.36, 0.16, and 0.21, respectively. A cluster analysis demonstrated that the 42 cultivars could be divided into three groups, a result that was largely consistent with those of a principal component analysis (PCA). The PCA indicated that the three groups displayed significant variation in fruit traits. The cultivars of group 1 tended to have longer fruits (>30 cm), longer fruit ends (>4 cm), larger fruit diameters (>5 cm), a sharp strigose fruit spine, and the same fruit end shape. The basal color of the fruit in group 2 was dark green. Group 3 cultivars have no wax or mottling on the fruit surface. Our study demonstrates the value of our SSR primers for assessing genetic diversity in cucumber.